In the present study, we examine the unifying element underlying different forms of meditation. The central concept identified in our analysis is silence, understood as a sacred and integrative dimension across contemplative practices. Mental silence is considered an essential stage common to all types of meditation, which itself constitutes an ancient and widely practiced discipline. A...
Chronic pain with psychological comorbidity, especially posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or depression, is a prevalent and costly problem, especially among Veterans. Compassion meditation (CM) is a meditative practice that focuses on developing attentional regulation and the intention to assuage suffering. CM-based approaches show promise in ameliorating physical and mental health...
In this time of ecological crisis, it is essential to recognize the conceptual framework that has facilitated the expropriation of the non-human world. Mind–body dualism must be held accountable for justifying a hierarchy of values that placed the immaterial soul and culture over and against the material body and nature. Today panpsychism is the most promising philosophy to provide a cure for...
Dreams constitute one of the most universal and, at the same time, most complex phenomena of human psychological experience. Over more than a century, the study of dreams has evolved from interpretations centered on universal symbols and unconscious contents toward cognitive, neuroscientific, and sociocultural approaches. The present article integrates recent findings on the nature of dreams...
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterised by heightened fears of negative and positive evaluation, which may contribute to deficits in emotion recognition and social functioning. This study examined the relationship between trait fears of compassion (FOCs) and accuracy in emotion recognition, following a brief Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) versus Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)....
When Freud invented/discovered psychoanalysis, he devised not just a theory of mind but also a tool that enabled him to observe the "mind." And with the tool of psychoanalysis, he was able to observe the workings of the default mode network (DMN) some hundred years before anyone knew of its existence. Since then, various operations of the DMN have been identified. One is the integration of...
Metaphors have long played multiple roles in conceptualizing the mind and brain, guiding the development and refinement of theoretical models and empirical questions. Early analogies (comparing the brain to hydraulic systems, telephone exchanges, factories, or libraries) offered shortcuts to understanding aspects of cognition, memory, and brain dynamics. From theoretical frameworks, metaphors...
This paper contributes to recent efforts to mine Vedanta for a more complete and cogent theory of the nature of consciousness and a solution to the mind–body problem. Various non-dual interpretations of Vedanta share the idea that the sole existent is Consciousness and offer more or less detailed descriptions of the structural dynamics of that Consciousness including how it assumes myriad...
In the contemporary era of hyper-connectivity and relentless professional competition, mental health preservation has emerged as a critical global challenge. While modern psychological frameworks provide essential interventions, there is increasing academic interest in the longitudinal wisdom of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS). This paper explores the therapeutic potential of two specific...
Paulo Coelho stands as one of the most widely read and translated authors of contemporary world literature, whose narrative works consistently foreground the intertwined themes of spirituality, existential meaning, and inner freedom. This study undertakes a qualitative, hermeneutic, and thematic analysis of selected major novels by Coelho — principally The Alchemist (1988), The Pilgrimage...